The Columbia University College Republicans had promised an exciting debate between Ann Coulter and blogger Mickey Kaus. What we got, however, was two friends debating not whether immigration is a net good in America, but how much to restrict it. Those who were hoping that Coulter’s conservative views would be challenged by a representative of the typical American liberal will be disappointed to hear that Kaus mostly espoused conservative views towards immigration, though he supported some liberal policies like Medicare-for-all.

Coulter’s policy toward immigration is twofold: firstly, a moratorium towards any legal or illegal immigration for “a few years” in order for recent immigrates to more clearly assimilate to American life; she supports building a wall on the southern border in order to achieve this goal. Secondly, she supports merit-based immigration so that the new immigrants will be “better than us” and wants to deport illegal immigrants currently within the United States while cracking down on businesses who employ them.

Kaus’s policy is relatively lighter; he still wants the United States to be seen as a country open to immigrants and refugees, and thus does not support a moratorium on all immigration. However, he agrees with Coulter that immigration control is necessary in order to help the middle class in America and that “walls work everywhere they’ve been tried.”

Coulter went on to espouse common Republican talking points, such as insinuating immigrants are a drain on benefits such as Social Security that should go to American citizens. At one point, she described how an “Arab father” was “caught on tape” discussing how easy it is to steal welfare from American citizens, and claims that in the culture of some immigrants “it’s a way of life to steal from the government.” When an audience member yelled out calling that notion false, she responded that her prior assertion was “not a fact.”

A campus activist holds up a sign in protest.

Perhaps the most interesting moment of the night was when Coulter started criticizing President Trump for not following through on his promises such as building the wall and abolishing the Affordable Care Act. When asked whether or not the Republicans should attempt to primary the President, Coulter put her support behind the idea “if he’s still in office,” saying that Republicans should support a candidate better equipped to carry out the “MAGA agenda.” Both Coulter and Kaus said it was likely that the Republicans would lose control of the House of Representatives after this year’s midterm elections.

Campus activists have protested several other CUCR events in the past, such as when the club hosted speakers Tommy Robinson and Mike Cernovich, but for Coulter there were a few protesters outside before the event started and a few silently holding up 8.5 x 11 inch signs within. One student had to be removed from the event after repeated interruptions calling Coulter “racist,” to which she called him, and all liberals, “very stupid.” Overall, Coulter was allowed to proceed unmolested, though she hurriedly exited the room following the debate.